CPO

CPO stands for "Custom Performance Option" and refers to alternative Pro V1^® and Pro V1x^® golf ball models that are played on the worldwide professional tours and in some instances are available for retail. Designed to finely tune very specific flight, spin and feel characteristics, these models play an important role in the discovery of new technological advancements that are frequently incorporated into next generation Pro V1 and Pro V1x models. CPO models are eligible for play in competition and are distinguished by variations in their sidestamp markings.

Examples of CPO models include the Pro V1 Left Dot and the Pro V1x Left Dash.

CPO OBJECTIVES

"The purpose of the CPO program is to achieve two things," said Frederick Waddell, Director of Titleist Golf Ball Product. "One, we want to fit niche needs from a launch condition standpoint out on Tour. Week in and week out, the majority of players are playing stock Pro V1 and Pro V1x — the exact Titleist models that you find in golf shops. But there are unique launch conditions out there that we want to fit for. CPO models allow us to help players with those unique needs.

"Secondly, we want to test forward-looking technologies. Pro V1 Left Dot informed high gradient core technology that we incorporated in Pro V1. The high-flex casing layer that we first introduced with Pro V1x Left Dash proved very successful, so we incorporated that into the design of Pro V1 and Pro V1x models as well. And candidly, we're not done learning from any of our CPO models. There are design aspects of all our CPOs that we're looking at for future iterations of product that we may bring to market."

WHY PROCESS IS CRITICAL TO CPO DEVELOPMENT

Titleist is uniquely qualified to create CPO golf ball models because prototype development is part of a larger company commitment to Process. The Titleist process always begins with the question, “How can we make your golf ball better?” This sets in motion a continual loop of research, testing and feedback with thousands of players across all playing abilities. The data and insights that players provide then guides experimentation and exploration into new materials, designs, constructions and technologies. Hundreds of prototype iterations are created and tested every year in an endless pursuit of superior performance.

Titleist is committed to the promise that we will never introduce a new golf ball market unless is surpasses the quality, consistency and performance of the product that came before it. The only way to honor this pledge is to own every step of the process. Titleist owns and operates all of our manufacturing, R&D and testing facilities. We engineer or customize every piece of equipment used to manufacture, test and validate Titleist golf balls, from the cavity molds that form the dimple patterns on golf ball covers to the robotic hitting machines that we use to test prototypes and perform daily quality assurance checks on the products produced in our Ball Plant facilities. Only by maintaining this strict control and oversight can we ensure that products meet out exacting standards and are worthy of the Titleist script.

WHEN DO CPO MODELS BECOME IN-LINE PRODUCT OFFERINGS?

Pro V1 and Pro V1x are designed to provide flight, spin and feel characteristics that fit the needs of the vast majority of golfers, but on occasion a CPO will offer performance benefits to a large enough segment of golfers that justifies bringing that model to market. Such is the case with Pro V1x Left Dash. 



First validated during testing with PGA, LPGA and elite collegiate players, Left Dash was then featured in Titleist golf ball fitting events to gauge public demand for a high speed golf ball that flies slightly lower and spins less with full swings than Pro V1x. This in-field testing suggested that Pro V1x Left Dash was more than a niche product. It could help a lot of everyday golfers to play better and shoot lower scores. Golf Ball R&D is constantly testing fitting data and new prototypes with players, and in the case where a CPO clearly fits a need for dedicated golfers, Titleist will make it available. 

INSIDE CAMERON YOUNG’S BREAKTHROUGH WIN WITH PRO V1x PROTOTYPE

On August 3, 2025, Titleist Brand Ambassador Cameron Young captured his first PGA TOUR victory at the Wyndham Championship. His breakthrough win began with a crucial decision to tee up a Pro V1x prototype golf ball for the first time.  

During a recent visit to the Titleist Performance Center at Manchester Lane (Acushnet, Massachusetts), Young, who was previously playing Pro V1 Left Dot, spent a range session with Titleist’s Director of Tour Research & Validation, Fordie Pitts, testing early iterations of what would eventually become the ball he used to win his first PGA TOUR title.



The Wyndham Championship marked the first opportunity for Young to test the final Pro V1x prototype on site at a TOUR event and potentially play it in competition.

“We weren't sure if he was going to test it, but as he was warming up, he asked to hit a couple on the range,” Pitts said. “He was then curious to see some shots out on the course.”

Young, accompanied by Pitts, teed off on Sedgefield Country Club’s first hole with both his gamer and the Pro V1x prototype. By the second hole, he was exclusively hitting shots with the new CPO.



Said Pitts: “Performance-wise, he was hitting tight draws everywhere. His misses were staying more in play. He hit some, what he would call ‘11 o'clock shots,’ where again he's taking a little something off it. He had great control there.”

Further validation came on the seventh hole, a par 3 that played between 184 and 225 yards during the tournament. The setup on Tuesday's practice round called for a 5-iron from Young, who thought there was “no way” he could fly a 6-iron to the flag with his Pro V1 Left Dot.

“He then hits this 6-iron [with the Pro V1x prototype] absolutely dead at the flag, and it lands right next to the pin, ending up just past it,” Pitts said. “And his response was, ‘remarkable.’ He couldn't believe that he got that club there.”

After the nine-hole practice round on Tuesday, Pitts walked with Young for nine more holes on Wednesday. Following the round, Young asked the team to put the Pro V1x prototypes in his locker.

The results were immediate. Young opened the week 63-62, making 16 birdies over the two rounds before running away with a six-shot victory.

“I think it definitely contributed to some of the good play this week,” Young said in his press conference following the win, “so I’m excited about the next few weeks.”